Posted on 09/23/2017 2:10:45 PM PDT by bigbob
For six months, Suki Kim worked as an English teacher at an elite school for North Korea's future leaders -- while writing a book on one of the world's most repressive regimes. As she helped her students grapple with concepts like "truth" and "critical thinking," she came to wonder: Was teaching these students to seek the truth putting them in peril? This talk was part of a session at TED2015 .
(Excerpt) Read more at ted.com ...
Scary. But well worth the time to watch.
I haven’t watched it yet. But just want to say, she’s brave to try to plant seeds of change in North Korea.
Another great source of intel was a Japanese guy who was sent over to make sushi for Jong Il.
Not sure if he lied about THIS part but he claimed he initially knew NOTHING at all about NK and did not recognize the people he cooked for (Jong Il himself).
When he showed NK locals a couple snaps of his dinners, they recognized his hosts and were completely terrified, later refusing to speak to him.
Yeah, but did she teach them to say, “Ferret face”?
“Frank Burns eats worms.”
Heh. Bingo.
What does he look like on an ordinary day..? I don't know and I think part of the idea is for NO ONE to know.
I think his (sorta) costume is still not enough, however.
Wow. I really didn’t know it was as bad as she describes.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of her talk is how she clearly cares very deeply about the young men who were her students, and is emotionally torn, knowing how much potential is being wasted yet wanting them to be safe.
You would hope that the people of NK would rise up, but with such a high degree of indoctrination and terror, it may not be possible.
Of course it was. Holding that the truth is sacrosanct, that there is only one truth, and that pursuing the truth is always a good thing... these are cultural values, are not universally held.
They are among the greatest accomplishments of humanity, and have their enemies. Like anything else of value.
OK I just saw it:
She’s pretty, intelligent, well-poised, and dishonest as hell.
She was UNDERCOVER..?
Wow, a pretty amazing claim if it were just anywhere, but as it’s instead a claim applying to the most air-tight police states in the history of the world, that one is quite a doozy.
Hmmm...”undercover in North Korea”, huh. My, my, my.
HOW, exactly, were you undercover, huh..? There will be some REAL obfuscation, there, I think.
And WHAT motivated you to go over and help in the Engrish abirities of the North Korean ereet, huh..? Patriotism..? Not really sure how THAT works.
And she’s this yuge expert after just 6 months, all the time with an escort..? Still very interesting, I conceed, she’s absolutely a good source, but I still think she’s simply an opportunist.
I’d be REALLY interested to know exactly how she ran across that plum gig.
I notice that she’s still milking it after —what..? Six years..? Things will keep perking along for her, I believe, and will even pick up.
She’s shrewd and very, very slippery.
Still a great post and presentation.
bflr
“...with such a high degree of indoctrination and terror,”
Right. So what happens the day after?
You want me to what? No fricken way!!!!
":^)
Very worthwhile viewing...
I could not get past the ad on TED, but here is the link to the same on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6weGCM3sWKc
This one is even more moving and it will make you feel fortunate to be born in the United States.
She escaped from North Korea and eventually managed to help her family escape.
https://www.ted.com/talks/sophal_ear_escaping_the_khmer_rouge
Careful. She”s a leftist from other interviews I’ve seen. Wrote for New Republic.
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